Out in the Open
by willynilly23
Summary: Post Season 3. See Author's notes. Rating for this part is K, but will be T in part 2
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is how I hope cases go in Season 4 with an Annie/Auggie established relationship in place. Summer is a long way off, I might have to write a virtual season between then and now. Also, I gave Auggie a code name, fairly certain we have not heard his yet.

Part One

"Annie?" Joan asked and indicated Auggie's office.

Annie hopped up and joined her, gracing her man with a small smile.

"Barber? I need you too," Joan called the other tech op from his desk.

"Annie, I need you on a flight to Tokyo within the hour. We have good intel that Igor Varenko is there. He has been off radar for 18 months, we need him in custody. "

"I don't speak Japanese," Annie was flustered, she hadn't been on a mission since she and Auggie defined their relationship 2 weeks ago.

"No, but you speak Russian and when you have Igor you need to interrogate him. We have a cover for you as a cocktail waitress at a bar he has been spotted at twice this week, we think he has a thing for one of the other waitresses. Barber, here are the schematics, I want eyes and ears inside the club," Joan handed a folder to Barber and he wheeled back to his work station.

"Auggie, get the safe house in Tokyo set up and an extraction plan ready if things go south. Also, get Annie as discreetly wired as possible. Say your good-byes, car will be here in 15 minutes," Joan turned on her heel and left.

"Come with me," Auggie stood and led her to the tech closet, a sound proof and temperature controlled haven of technology.

He gathered all the personal surveillance stuff she could possibly need and a couple fun gadgets for her to have on hand. The Appropriations Committee would probably object, but Auggie always erred on the side of cautious with Annie.

"I wish we had time for a hand-to-hand session Walker, Varenko is a big dude," Auggie sounded calmer than he felt.

"Our hand-to-hand session this morning was good enough," Annie winked even though he couldn't see her.

"You know what is odd?" Auggie asked as he zipped up the bag with all her tech treats.

"Fat free mayonnaise?" she was gearing up for good-bye.

"I am not any more worried about you than I was before, you know, the thing," Auggie blushed and Annie found it so cute she had to kiss him, ensuring Barber was still out of the line of sight.

"You know what that means?"

"I have been in love with you the whole time?" he furrowed his brow.

"Yep," she kissed him again.

"Be careful," he whispered between kisses.

"Always," she squeezed him extra tight and then she was gone.

Auggie knew he had plenty of time to get the safe house ready, while Annie circled the globe. He reached out to Tokyo Station and put in a few special requests.

"I truly never know what you are going to ask for Auggie," the young operative in Tokyo chuckled.

"Thanks Bettina, I owe you a beer next time you make it stateside," Auggie clicked off and dropped his blue tooth on the desk.

"Not exactly SOP boss," Barber grinned.

"What is the sense in doing favors for friends if you cannot expect the same in return. Simple quid pro quo Eric, that is all it is."

Annie was 12 different kinds of gross and exhausted by the time she reached the safe house in Tokyo. She had slept intermittently on the plane between reading her files and missing Auggie. She hadn't realized how quickly she had become accustomed to drifting off to sleep while he combed his fingers through her hair.

She dropped her small bag inside the door, did a quick level 1 sweep and went in search of nourishment. On the counter in the small but immaculate kitchen she found a bounty of treats including tangerines, almonds, chocolate, Perrier and bubble bath.

Usually the local station leaves some food and maybe a candy bar or two for hospitality sake, but this was way nicer. A note peeked out of the basket of fruit.

Helvetica—

Take care of yourself. Call me when you get in regardless of time.

-Capricorn

Annie really had no idea what time it was, the clock on the microwave said 3:30 in the afternoon and she knew that meant the middle of the night at home, but she couldn't resist.

"Annie?" he sounded sleepy.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm here safe and sound," she spoke softly to preserve his slumber.

"Good, everything is set for your meet tomorrow," he sounded a little more awake.

"Thanks Auggie, for that and the treats," she tried to send all her appreciation direct through the phone.

"Oh good, glad you got them. Eat the healthy things too, not just the chocolate. Lonely here without you," he sounded sleepy again.

"Yeah, here too. Go back to sleep, I need you on the other end of the microphone tomorrow."

"Night Annie," he still didn't say good-bye.

Annie opened the fridge to find salmon and green vegetables and all sorts of yummy things, but that bubble bath was calling her name. She settled for a handful of almonds and a bottle of water and wheeled her small suitcase into the bedroom.

She couldn't read the label on the bubble bath, but there was a picture of what looked like, yep, her nose confirmed, eucalyptus, her favorite. Man that man had her wrapped around his little finger already.

Annie made her scheduled meet the next day, got her "uniform" for her cover and was getting ready to head to the bar when Auggie checked in.

"Hey, you almost ready to go?"

"mmmph, mmphh, mmphh," was all he heard in response.

"Wow, now my hearing is going too, were those actual words?"

"Sorry, I was trapped in this poor excuse for a shirt, had to break free."

"Interesting," was all she got from the other end.

"That is one word for it. It has a bit of a naughty school-girl theme to it. I'll be glad you can't actually see me when you are watching tonight."

"My eyes might not work, but I have a fabulous imagination," he chuckled and Barber's head popped up across the room.

"Well this outfit leaves very little to the imagination."

"I am sure you can pull it off just fine."

"I'd rather you were the one pulling it off."

"I do have nice legs."

"Not what I meant."

"Open line here guys," Barber's voice was a couple octaves higher than normal.

"Oops, sorry Eric," Annie blushed.

"OK Barber, Annie is in position, she is going in," Auggie relayed the text she had sent as she exited the Agency van a block from the bar.

"Ears up and eyes up," Barber checked all the equipment as Joan strolled in, her 6th sense telling her it was go time.

Annie entered the club and smiled at the bouncer who did not seem to care that he had never seen her before. The outfit must have been doing the trick as he looked her up and down and she smiled coyly.

"Damn," the whistle was out of Barber's mouth before he could stop it.

"What?" Auggie was instantly on alert.

"Oh nothing, I um, just spilled my Coke," he tried to cover.

"What is it Barber?"

"Nothing Auggie, seriously, she just looks, um really good in the get up," Barber was totally flustered.

"Let's focus on the mark," Joan piped up before things got heated.

It was 30 minutes and 3 shots of vodka for Igor later when Joan was called away. The target was definitely feeling the alcohol, but Joan had to take another call. Annie had piqued her target's interest, but it was still early in the night.

"How does she look?" Auggie asked Barber.

"She's fine, girl can serve drinks, who knew?"

"I mean, what made you whistle earlier?"

Barber audibly swallowed when he saw no look of humor on his boss' face.

"The outfit is small…" he began.

"I know what the outfit looks like, these things tell me everything," Auggie replied indicating his headphones and keyboard.

"Annie is just very fit, that's all. The other girls are super skinny, but Annie looks strong."

"Will it get her made?"

"I don't think so, the men seem to admire it, she's not like scary jacked or anything, she's just fit, you know?" Barber was sweating now.

"I do actually know Annie's body pretty well," Auggie mentioned off-handedly.

Barber wanted to push that, but he knows Auggie and Annie spar in the gym all the time. He also knows how much more Auggie needs to touch people than your average guy. Auggie does seem to touch Annie way more than anyone else though. And the flirty banter has definitely gone up a notch the last few weeks. Something had changed.

There wasn't time for Barber to consider the less-professional aspect of his boss and Agent Walker though as it was go time. Annie made her move and sidled up to Igor to plant the tracker.

"Ruskyi?" she asked in flawless Russian.

"Da," he leered as he looked her up and down.

"I miss home so much," she continued batting her eyes at him.

"You are Russian?" this was always the moment Auggie feared. Annie's language skills were excellent, especuially her Russian, but fooling a native speaker is always risky.

Auggie didn't hear anything but he knew she nodded. Annie could be so beguiling, she was in with Igor, now she just had to get the tracker on him.

"Done," Barber said surprised.

"That was fast," Auggie grinned.

"Whatever she whispered to him when she went in with the tracker definitely distracted him, he is oblivious. The team will pick him up on his way home. Annie just needs to finish her shift to maintain cover and she is clear until the interrogation."

Annie didn't actually mind serving drinks, but she did mind the uniform, it was not comfortable and she knew Barber and Auggie were watching back home. True Auggie "saw" her in a lot less these days, but it was still off-putting in the context of work.

Her shift was wrapping up and Igor was still at the bar, she worried this might be a problem on the way out the door and she was right.

"Devoshka," he approached with the typical yet condescending word for girl in Russian. Condescending that is when applied to a 30 year old woman.

"Uh oh," Barber mumbled around a sandwich.

"Yeah," Auggie sighed.

Annie smiled and shook her head, said she had to get home to her roommate and tried to sidle out the door. The bouncer who had given her such a nice look earlier just looked the other way when Igor grabbed her arm.

"Mozart, what's your 20?" Auggie asked the leader of the back up team.

"Two minutes by foot."

"Stand by we might have to take him in now."

Annie tried to talk her way out of Igor's grasp but he was not letting go.

"Do you think he made her?" Auggie asked missing some of the unspoken signals.

"No, I think he wants her," Barber replied, "her cover is good."

"Until she pulls out her fight skills and he will know she is not some young Russian girl working her way around the globe."

"The dude is big," Barber sounded concerned.

"I know, that is why the team is in place. The second this gets out of hand they are going in to clean up the mess Annie is certain to make of this drunk bastard."

Annie knew how dangerous Igor Varenko was, but she wasn't scared, he didn't want to kill her, he wanted to sleep with her. Her best attempts at setting a date for tomorrow though were being cast aside by his inebriated handsiness. If she didn't get him to back off soon she was going to have to hurt him and that would blow her cover.

Auggie's Russian wasn't as good as Annie's, but he could tell by the tone of Igor's voice and the vitriol in his words that he had gone from playful flirting to nasty. This wasn't going to end well…

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Out in the Open Part 2

Annie knew this mission could go South very quickly if she didn't turn it around. She was thinking of her next move when Igor slapped her, hard.

Auggie heard the sound of hand on skin and moved his fingers quickly over the keyboard to get the details.

"He slapped her," Barber was shocked.

Auggie had lied to himself and Annie earlier when he said he felt no different about her on a mission now that they were together. The minute he heard the sound his pulse raced and a metallic taste hit the back of his throat, adrenaline shot through him and he had to force himself to stay in his chair.

"How does she look?"

"A little stunned, but ummmm…not sure what she is doing now?" Barber was truly confused as half way across the world Annie launched herself into Igor's arms and began kissing him.

Annie made the decision to lure him in, she kissed the drunk Russian with all she had while telepathically communicating to Auggie to not send in the troops just yet.

"You like it rough, da?" Igor spoke English for the first time.

"I like _you_ rough," Annie replied in her best naughty-school girl voice.

"How does he know she's American?" Auggie tried to figure if Igor knew even more than he was letting on. He was holding off the team for now, not really wanting to start an all-out gun fight in the middle of Tokyo.

"American women have it so easy, but I find they like to get slapped around a little," he pushed Annie hard against the outside wall of the bar.

He pushed his full weight against her and there was no way she could escape him now if he truly intended to hurt her. It was a fleeting thought, but Annie realized she actually felt like she had something to lose now, more than Just Dani and the girls she had Auggie at home and that was both comforting and terrifying to face.

"I might like it rough, but I still enjoy a bed," Annie cooed trying to buy some time so she could assess her chances.

"Thought you had to get back to your roommate?" he sneered and pulled on one of the pigtails Annie thought appropriate for the uniform.

"_Fights are frantic and messy and they are won at very close range." _Auggie's words from so long ago were clear in her head.

She leaned in closer still and said loud enough for her wire to pick it up, "I think this is going to get frantic and messy."

"She's going to try to take him down," Auggie sighed as Annie brought a knee up and an elbow across Varenko's face.

"How did you know?" Barber asked confused as he watched the small women taking on this huge man.

"Mozart, go, I repeat go," Auggie radioed the backup team.

Annie continued to hold her own against Varenko, it didn't hurt that he had consumed about a half-gallon of vodka and was clearly taken aback by her skills. She hadn't been made after all; the guy was just a world class creep.

Barber watched in awe as the scene unfolded and his boss sat there with a small smile on his lips.

"How did you know?" he asked again.

"I taught her how to fight 3 years ago, she is a good student."

Within seconds Annie had Varenko on the ground in pain and the backup team arrived to haul him in. It was not the smoothest way to get him in custody, but the end result was the same.

"Helvetica, please report," Auggie asked nicely.

"I'm good," she said slightly winded.

"That you are. Go home get some rest, interrogation can wait until tomorrow. I think our Russian friend needs a cold shower first.'

"Thank you, for everything," she said.

"Talk later," he didn't want too much emotion to creep in to his voice, so he kept the message short and the words clipped.

Once the vehicle with Varenko inside was safely at the Agency facility Auggie shut down the computer and headed to Joan's office to update her before heading home. Annie got a cab to the safe house and hoped the cab driver didn't notice the bruise forming on her face.

An hour later her phone rang.

"Hey," she smiled into the receiver.

"You OK?" his voice was like the best salve to her beaten body.

"I will be, just a few bruises. You trained me well."

"We weren't sure if you were going to fight him or sleep with him," he laughed.

"I only sleep with you now," she said all the humor gone from her voice, defensive about Simon even after all this time.

"I know," he assured her.

"I wish I was sleeping with you right now," she sighed.

"Me too," he yawned.

"Sleeping in the middle of the day?" she factored the time zones and figured it was about noon at home.

"I am on Annie Walker time, when you sleep I sleep."

"Sleep well. I love you," she said without even thinking.

There was silence on the other end of the line. Had he fallen asleep? Was he stunned?

Then she heard it, he was laughing.

"Are you laughing at my declaration of love?"

"I am laughing that you chose 2:00 a.m. in Tokyo to make it, but it seems right somehow. I love you too by the way."

"Yeah, I figured that out," she said casually.

"You did, did you?"

"Actions speak louder than words Auggie."

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Out in the Open Part 3 of 3

The interrogation of Igor Varenko took 2 days. Annie was exhausted, but she had broken him and gotten all the intel and more than Joan had hoped for. The reports could be written on the plane, right now she wanted to pack and get the hell out of Tokyo. In some ways the interrogation was more exhausting than the fight. Varenko proved to be even meaner sober and he cursed and spat and threatened Annie at every turn.

Barber could see Auggie seething quietly beneath the surface as Igor called Annie every dirty name in the book in both English and Russian and possibly Japanese too. Barber almost believed in telepathy at one point and feared for Varenko's life if Auggie's thoughts could make it half way around the globe.

Finally Annie was on a plane and Auggie relaxed.

"She did a good job," Joan mentioned off-handedly.

Auggie smiled as he knew Joan would never quite say that to Annie herself, but by telling Auggie she assumed the information would make it to the intended recipient.

"I want all her reports as soon as she is back," that sounded more like Joan.

"You two can have a couple days off. I don't want to see either of you until Monday."

"I just sat here and listened," Auggie waggled the headset.

"Auggie, I know what it takes out of you when she is that far away. Being someone's handler is very stressful, you need time too."

Auggie did not want to think about the implications of what Joan meant by that. He and Annie were not hiding their relationship per se, but they hadn't filed the paperwork yet either. They needed to do that, it was time they were open about it all. She had told him she loved him the other night, even if it was in a moment of sheer exhaustion.

"Thanks Joan," he grinned not giving her the chance to rescind the offer.

With the promise of a few days off Auggie didn't mind sitting around for 14 hours for Annie to make it home. He got some things in order so Barber and Stu could cover his desk and helped another team with a tricky extraction in Angola. Sure enough the time flew by and suddenly he heard a sigh.

Annie got a whole 30 seconds to look at him before he realized she was there. She would have thought she would get more time to just observe him, but he was so keenly intuitive, particularly when she was near.

"Hey," he smiled.

The office seemed deserted so Annie didn't hesitate to go right to his side and wrap her arms around him. He stood to return her embrace and whispered in her ear.

"So glad you are back. You OK?"

She didn't speak just nodded against his shoulder, but couldn't hide the wince when his hands ran down her body, checking for injury.

"Not so OK it seems," he pulled back and slid his hands under her jacket testing for the sorest spots.

"They're better, just some bruising, I told you," she sounded so tired and he so wished he could see her to truly assess her condition. He knew she hid things from him, even before they were a thing.

"Hey Annie! Welcome back," Barber greeted cheerfully as he took in the sight of the 2 of them standing very close, Auggie's hands under her jacket.

"Thanks Barber, for everything, you guys were great," Annie tried to step back, but Auggie gently held her in place.

"No problemo. Boss, I am read in on everything, so you guys can take off after Annie files her report," Barber tried to sound nonchalant, but Auggie smirked at the assumption they would be leaving together.

This time Annie successfully disengaged herself from Auggie's arms and squeezed one of the hands that felt so warm against her battered body.

"I better not keep Joan waiting any longer," she turned and saw her boss's lights still on despite the late hour.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Auggie noted despite Barber's presence.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Annie managed to keep her hands and lips to herself until they were safely ensconced in Auggie's apartment.

"I missed you so much," she murmured between kisses as she began unbuttoning his shirt.

"God, me too," he replied torn between wanting to take care of her and wanting to make love to her.

"What…um, what do you need?" he asked as she backed him up into the living room and sucked on that spot right behind his ear.

"You," she sighed as she pushed him onto the couch and stretched out on top of him.

He was gentle and cautious and the care he took in loving her made her ache for him. He knew, without seeing, where she was most tender not just physically but emotionally as well. He knew her so bloody well it was frightening.

She knew, when they were done, that they should move to the bed, but her body was so liquid the thought of standing was impossible. She tugged the blanket off the back of the couch and covered them with it, snuggling deeper into Auggie's embrace, their arms and legs a tangled knot.

Annie wasn't sure if it was hours or days later that she woke up. Auggie's breathing indicated he was still asleep, but she desperately needed a shower. She managed to get her body separated from his and moving towards the bathroom without waking him.

The hot water was heaven and Annie was certain Auggie did not fully appreciate the glory of his water pressure. She washed her hair twice and was running her sponge over her arms one last time when Auggie slid into the shower behind her. He took the sponge and ran it over her shoulders and down her back as the water plastered his almost-in-need-of-a-trim hair against his head.

He kissed her soundly before washing himself up as well.

"What do you need now Miss Walker?" he asked as she wrapped a soft towel around her body.

She tugged him closer by his own dangerously low slung towel and kissed him again.

"I am torn between need and want right now?" she smiled against his warm damp skin.

"We are going to have to learn to balance the two. I want you very badly, but I desperately need food and I imagine you do too."

"I don't actually remember the last thing I ate, but I am pretty sure it was more than 24 hours ago," she agreed.

"Let's go out for breakfast," he suggested.

"It is 2:00 in the afternoon," she countered.

"Let's go out for lunch then," he grinned.

The nearly empty restaurant afforded Auggie the privacy he wanted to address the topic that was forefront in his mind.

"I want to file the paperwork," he said vaguely as he navigated his sandwich.

"OK," she replied with a smile.

"That was easy," he laughed.

"I kind of figured it out last night when you kept your hands on me in front of Barber. I meant what I said on the phone Auggie, I love you. We can file all the paperwork you want."

Auggie was momentarily stunned by a vision in his mind of Annie in a wedding dress. It was strange since he had never actually seen Annie, but he could see her so clearly in his mind at that moment.

"I think there will be lots of paperwork in our future," he grinned mysteriously.

The End


End file.
